Method and arrangement at a flagpole

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a process and a device for dividing a tubular flagpole. This is achieved by introducing into the flagpole an elongated body, which over at least part of its length has a geometric shape, which in concert with a complementary geometric shape inside the flagpole ensures that the flagpole can be cut and assembled in a way that guarantees the rectilinear continuity of the flagpole. The complementary geometric shape is formed in that, after the body is introduced into the flagpole, a filling material is injected so that the space between the flagpole and the elongated body is filled. The flagpole is then cut around the elongated body down to the outer surface of the body so that the geometric shape allows the flagpole to be divided into two sections at the cutting side, the body remaining fixed to one of the sections.

The present invention relates to a process for dividing a tubularflagpole.

The invention also relates to a device in a tubular flagpole, divisibleinto a first and a second flagpole section.

Flagpoles are often very long. This may cause difficulties, for example,when transporting them, partly for reasons of space and partly becausethey are awkward to handle. It is therefore desirable that the flagpolesbe divisible into two or more parts.

A device for achieving a rigid and rattle-free connection of twoflagpole sections is already known from SE 464 037. The device is usedto connect two tubes of different diameter, where the outside diameterof the first tube is smaller than the inside diameter of the secondtube. The first tube has two sleeves with a plurality of peripheralslots, designed to receive O-rings. The first sleeve is arranged at afree end of the first tube and the second sleeve is arranged further inon the tube. The second sleeve, at the end furthest away from the firstsleeve, is equipped with a flange, the diameter of which is greater thanthe inside diameter of the second tube. When connecting the sections ofthe flagpole, the first tube provided with sleeves is inserted into thesecond tube so that the first sleeve is situated entirely inside thistube and the second sleeve is situated partially inside this tube, withits flange resting against the end of the second tube. The O-rings onthe sleeves are designed so that they come into contact with the insideof the second tube, thereby achieving a rattle-free connection.

A disadvantage with this device is that it requires flagpole sections ofdifferent diameters. This means that these flagpoles differsignificantly in appearance from conventional, non-divisible flagpoles.

A flagpole of tubular metal sections with successively diminishingdiameters, which are connected by pipe studs inserted into the ends ofthe tubular sections, which connect the tubular sections to one another,is already known from U.S. Pat. No. 1,102,413. The tubular sections havebeen shrunk fast in the pipe stubs and their projecting parts areprovided with external threads corresponding with internal threads on acoupling piece, which connects the tubular sections in that theirrespective threaded pipe studs are firmly screwed into this couplingpiece.

A disadvantage with this flagpole is that the joints are made up of aplurality of components which require accurate assembly and adjustmentin order to achieve a satisfactory joint. The coupling piece in thisdevice is clearly visible on the outside of the flagpole when the twoflagpole sections are assembled. Furthermore this device also involvescoupling together flagpole sections of different diameter, which meansthat the flagpole differs significantly in appearance from conventional,non-divisible flagpoles.

An object of the invention is to arrive at a method by means of whichthe disadvantages associated with previously known solutions areovercome, in which method

an elongated body is chosen, which over at least one part of its lengthhas a geometric shape, which in its interaction with a complementarygeometric shape inside the flagpole ensures that the flagpole can be cutand assembled in a way that guarantees that the flagpole remainsstraight when assembled, and over its entire length has an outsidedimension less than the inside diameter of the flagpole,

non-stick agent is applied to the outer surface of the elongated body ona part of its length, including one end of the body and at least onepart of the said geometric shape,

the elongated body is inserted into the flag pole and placed with itscentre essentially where division is required,

a seal is produced between the flagpole and the elongated body at bothends of the body, thereby forming an enclosed space,

at least one hole is made though the wall of the flagpole so that thehole(s) communicate(s) with the enclosed space,

a filling material, preferably thermosetting plastic, is injectedthrough the hole(s) (6 a, 6 b) so that the space between the flagpoleand the elongated body is filled, thereby forming the said complementarygeometric shape,

the filling material is allowed to set, so that the elongated body isthereby fixed to the flagpole by that part of its outer surface to whichnon-stick agent has not been applied,

the flagpole is cut away around the elongated body, at an area on thisto which non-stick agent has been applied, down to the outer surface ofthe body, so that a certain length of the body remains on both sidesaround the cutting site, and so that it is possible to divide theflagpole into two parts at the cutting site, the body remaining fixed toone of the parts.

According to another characteristic of the invention the elongated bodyis a tube, in which case it is possible to form the enclosed space byintroducing an expandable agent, in one simple, advantageous embodimenta rubber bladder, into the tube and causing this to expand so that itprotrudes from the tube at both ends thereof and in such a way as toform a seal between the tube and the flagpole, as a result of which thetube is also centered in the flagpole.

According to a further characteristic of the invention a plurality ofelongated bodies are arranged in the flagpole in order to permitdividing at a plurality of points.

Another object of the invention is to produce a device by means of whichthe above-mentioned disadvantages are overcome. This is achieved by theinvention in that a tube is introduced and fixed in the first flagpolesection at its end corresponding to the second flagpole section, so thatone part of the tube protrudes from the first flagpole section, theprotruding part of the tube having a geometric shape corresponding to acomplementary geometric shape inside the second flagpole section at itsend corresponding to the first flagpole section, in which the saidfixing and said complementary geometric form are respectively producedby the injection of a filling material, preferably thermosettingplastic, between the tube and the flagpole so that, after setting, thisfilling material together with the tube with the said geometric shapemean that the flag pole, after dividing around the tube down to this canonly be assembled in a way that guarantees that the flagpole remainsstraight.

In order to obtain an uncomplicated design, the said geometric shape,according to a further characteristic of the invention, comprises atleast one guide extending along the said tube which in one simpleembodiment is an axially aligned key.

According to yet another characteristic of the invention at least onepart of the outer surface of that part of the tube fixed in the firstflagpole section to ensure its fixing is provided with afriction-enhancing external texture, consisting in one embodiment ofgrooves.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with the aid ofexamples and with reference to the drawings attached in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an elongated body for use in anembodiment of the invention,

FIG. 2 shows a section through the body and the flagpole at one phase ina process according to the invention,

FIG. 3 shows a section through the body and the flagpole at anotherphase in a process according to the invention,

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the device accordingto the invention.

FIG. 1 shows an example in which approximately half the elongated body,in this example a tube 2, has a grooved outer surface 2 b andapproximately half has an outer surface 2 a to which a non-stick agentis applied. In addition a longitudinal key 3 is arranged approximatelyin the centre of the tube 2, to one part of which, corresponding to theouter non-stick coated surface 2 a, non-stick agent is applied.

In the example in FIG. 2 the tube 2 has been placed in an axialdirection in a tubular flagpole 1 with its centre approximately wherethe division is required. The flagpole 1 may be of prefabricated typeand manufactured from glass fibre-reinforced thermosetting plastic. Arubber bladder 4 is placed inside the tube 2. This has been made toexpand by filling it with air, the space between the flagpole and thetube thereby being sealed at both ends of the tube, so that an enclosedspace 5 has been formed. Furthermore the said expansion results incentering of the tube 2 in the flagpole 1. The rubber bladder 4 may havebeen placed in the tube 2 either before this was inserted into theflagpole or afterwards. Sealing may naturally be performed in a numberof other ways well-known to the person skilled in the art. In thisexample two holes 6 a, 6 b have been made through the flagpole 1 so thatthe holes communicate with the enclosed space.

In the example in FIG. 3 a thermosetting plastic, for example atwo-component thermosetting plastic, has been injected through the holes6 a, 6 b so that the enclosed space 5 between the flagpole 1 and thetube 2 is filled. In one embodiment the tube 2 and the thermosettingplastic have approximately the same coefficient of thermal expansion. Inthis example the rubber bladder 4 has been removed after thethermosetting plastic was injected, which is naturally not necessary.The thermosetting plastic is fixed at the flagpole 1 and the tube 2, atthat part of its outer surface to which non-stick agent is not applied,by allowing it to harden. The grooves 2 b on the outer surface of thetube 2 immersed in the thermosetting plastic make the fixing stronger.

After the thermosetting plastic has been allowed to set, the flagpole 1is cut into two sections at a cutting site 7. The cutting is performedaround the tube 2 so that the wall of the flagpole 1 and thethermosetting plastic are cut through whilst the tube 2 remainsessentially intact. In one example the key 3 is at least partiallysevered. In this example the cutting is performed approximately in themiddle of the longitudinal key 3 and where the non-stick agent isapplied to this. After cutting, a length of the tube 2 remains on bothsides of the cutting site. It is now possible to divide the flagpoleinto two sections 1 a 1 b at the cutting site, as shown in FIG. 4, inwhich the tube remains fixed to the one section 1 a. It is advantageousto perform the cutting in such a way that as small an area as possiblehas non-stick agent on the length to which non-stick agent is notapplied to the entire outer surface.

As the example in FIG. 4 shows, the key 3 and the thermosetting plasticnow ensure that assembly can only be undertaken in such a way that theflag pole regains its original alignment, that is to say just as theflagpole was aligned before it was cut off, that the assembled sections1 a, 1 b cannot be twisted in relation to one another and that therectilinear continuity of the flagpole is regained when the flagpolesections 1 a and 1 b are assembled.

In another example (not shown) either non-stick agent is applied to morethan half of the tube 2 and less than half of the tube is grooved, ornon-stick agent is applied to less than half of the tube 2 and more thanhalf of the tube is grooved. Non-stick agent is applied to at least partof the key 3 and the cutting should be performed so that at least onepart of the key 3 does not remain fixed inside the flagpole section 1 a.

It will be obvious to the person skilled in the art that the inventionis not confined to the examples described above but can lend itself tomodifications within the framework of the idea of the invention definedin the claims below.

What is claimed is:
 1. A device in a tubular flagpole comprising: afirst flagpole section; a second flagpole section having in its interiora first geometric shape; and a tube that is introduced and fixed into anend of the first flagpole section; wherein the first geometric shape isformed by injecting a filling material between the tube and the secondflagpole section and wherein one end of the tube protrudes towards thesecond flagpole section and has a second geometric shape correspondingto the first geometric shape inside the second flagpole section.
 2. Adevice according to claims 1, wherein said geometric shape is formed byat least one guide extending along the said tube.
 3. A device accordingto claim 2, wherein the at least one guide is an axially aligned key. 4.The device according to claim 2, wherein the at least one guide islongitudinal.
 5. A device according to claim 1, wherein at least onepart of the outer surface of a part of the tube that is fixed in thefirst flagpole section has a friction-enhancing external texture.
 6. Adevice according to claim 5, wherein the external texture consists ofgrooves.
 7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the fillingmaterial is a thermosetting plastic.
 8. Process for dividing a tubularflagpole, the process comprising steps of: choosing an elongated bodywhich over at least a part of its length has a geometric shape, which inits interaction with a complementary geometric shape inside the flagpoleensures that the flagpole can be cut and assembled in a way thatguarantees that the flagpole remains straight when assembled and overall its length has an outside dimension less than an inside diameter ofthe flagpole;, applying a non-stick agent to an outer surface of theelongated body on a part of its length, including one end of the bodyand at least one part of the geometric shape; inserting the elongatedbody into the flagpole so that the elongated body is placed with itscenter where division is required; producing a seal between the flagpoleand the elongated body at both ends of the elongated body, therebyforming an enclosed space; making at least one hole through a wall ofthe flagpole so that the at least one hole communicates with theenclosed space; injecting a filling material through the at least onehole so that the space between the flagpole and the elongated body isfilled, thereby forming the complementary geometric shape; allowing thefilling material to set, so that the elongated body is fixed to theflagpole at a part of its outer surface to which said non-stick agenthas not been applied; and cutting the flagpole away around the elongatedbody, at an area to which said non-stick agent has been applied, down tothe outer surface of the elongated body, so that a certain length of theelongated body remains on both sides around the cutting site, and sothat it is possible to divide the flagpole into two parts at the cuttingsite, the elongated body remaining fixed to one of the parts.
 9. Theprocess according to claim 8, wherein the elongated body is a tube. 10.The process according to claim 9, wherein the enclosed space is formedby introducing an expandable means into the tube and causing this toexpand so that it protrudes out of the tube at both ends thereof,thereby forming a seal between the tube and the flagpole, the tube beingcentered in the flagpole.
 11. The process according to claim 10, whereinthe expandable means is a rubber bladder.
 12. The process according toclaim 11, wherein a plurality of elongated bodies are arranged in theflagpole in order to permit division at a plurality of points.
 13. Theprocess according to claim 10, wherein a plurality of elongated bodiesare arranged in the flagpole in order to permit division at a pluralityof points.
 14. The process according to claim 9, wherein a plurality ofelongated bodies are arranged in the flagpole in order to permitdivision at a plurality of points.
 15. The process according to claims8, wherein a plurality of elongated bodies are arranged in the flagpolein order to permit division at a plurality of points.
 16. The processaccording to claim 8, wherein the filling material is a thermosettingplastic.